Counselor Connections

Counselor Connections provides the Mount St. Mary community with a monthly communication tool from our Counseling & Wellness Department.

Marissa MacTurk is our Interim School Counselor for grades 9 & 10 while Kelli Shepard is out on maternity leave until mid-November. Julia Grant-Rooney is our School Counselor for grades 11 & 12. Jessica Gertz is our School Social Worker and Jordan Osborne serves as our Coordinator of College and Career.

The newsletter will be published and sent to your inbox on the second Tuesday of every month. A link to access this newsletter will also appear on the school website. Our goal is to be as thoughtful as possible in how we present information to you. We hope that you find your monthly Counselor Connections a helpful resource.

• Sept 13 - Senior Sunrise: 6:15 am - 7:30 am

• Sept 20 - SAT Registration deadline for October 5th exam

• Sept 23 - Picture Day

• Sept 26 - Meet the Teacher Night: 6:00 pm - 8 pm

• Oct 5 - SAT

• Oct 6 - Open House: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

• Oct 7 - No School

• Oct 7 - Open House: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

All students must take a minimum of 7.0 credits for the school year. Please look at your schedule carefully to make sure that you have a full schedule. All schedule changes must occur by Friday, September 13th. Please see your counselor if you have any questions.

9th, 10th & 11th grade students are scheduled into Study Halls during any free periods they may have during their days. Seniors have "free periods", meaning they are free to find places in the building, such as the senior lounge, any of the academic centers or the library. If you notice a blank period in your day, please see your counselor as soon as possible.

9th, 10th & 11th grade students are assigned to a lunch period. Again, seniors are not scheduled to a specific lunch period. They may eat their lunch in the cafeteria, senior lounge or outside during times designated by Mr. Clark.

If a student makes a change after September13th, a W (withdrawal) will appear on the student's transcript.

We are excited to invite you to our annual Meet the Teachers Night! Join us on Thursday, September 26, for an opportunity to meet your daughter's teachers and learn about the exciting year ahead. This is a great chance to ask questions, discuss your daughter's goals, and get to know our dedicated MSM faculty and staff.

Be on the lookout for more information the upcoming Family Connection Newsletter!

Senior students are scheduled for a Senior Seminar class. Students will meet with Mrs. Grant-Rooney once during our 6 day cycle in the first semester to work on topics related to college applications. Mrs. Gertz will teach the course during the second semester, focusing on the transition from being a high school student to a post-graduate. All classes will meet in the Wellness Center, Room 217.

Starting on Monday (9/16), MSM will be welcoming college admissions representatives to our Career Center (Room 205) to speak with juniors and seniors about their schools. The visits with representatives provide an excellent opportunity for students to learn about different programs, financial aid/scholarships, campus visits, and campus life of colleges and universities from across the country.

Here are some guidelines regarding the visits:

• Visits are available to Seniors and Juniors only;
• Students will sign-up with Ms. Osborne in the Career Center before the visit where they will receive a "College Visit Pass";
• Students will check-in with their teacher and give them their "College Visit Pass" at the start of the period for the teacher to keep;
• Once you give your teacher the pass you will head to Rm. 205 where you will continue to sign-in for the visit upon your arrival;
• Students must not miss a test/quiz/assessment to come to a visit;
• Students should be thoughtful in the visits they choose to attend so as not to miss too much class time;
• Teachers will be notified of students in attendance.

Please check the Scoir calendar or College Admissions Visits Calendar regularly for the most up-to-date visit schedule. If you have any questions please stop by the Career Center!

• Sept 16 - George Mason University: 2nd Period
• Sept 16 - Hofstra University: 4th Period
• Sept 16 - SUNY College of Technology at Delhi: 2nd Lunch/6th Period
• Sept 16 - Brock University: 8th Period
• Sept 17 - St. John's University: 2nd Period
• Sept 17 - Carlow University: 2nd Lunch/6th Period
• Sept 17 - SUNY at Purchase College: 8th Period
• Sept 18 - University of Connecticut: 3rd Period
• Sept 18 - Hobart and William Smith Colleges: 4th Period
• Sept 18 - University of Rochester: Advisory
• Sept 18 - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: 1st Lunch/5th Period
• Sept 18 - Duquesne University: 8th Period
• Sept 18 - Nazareth University: 9th Period
• Sept 19 - Allegheny College: 3rd Period
• Sept 19 - SUNY University at Albany: Advisory
• Sept 19 - Niagara University: 1st Lunch/5th Period
• Sept 19 - DePaul University: 9th Period
• Sept 20 - SUNY University at Buffalo: 2nd Period
• Sept 20 - Cleveland State University: 4th Period
• Sept 24 - John Carroll University: 2nd Period
• Sept 26 - Keuka College: 4th Period
• Sept 26 - SUNY College at Geneseo: 7th Period
• Sept 30 - D'Youville University: 2nd Period
• Sept 30 - Canisius University: 8th Period
• Oct 1 - Marietta College: 3rd Period
• Oct 1 - Kent State University: Advisory
• Oct 1 - Loyola University Chicago: 1st Lunch/5th Period
• Oct 2 - SUNY Buffalo State University: 8th Period
• Oct 3 - Gannon University: 1st Lunch/5th Period
• Oct 3 - Catholic University of America: 9th Period
• Oct 4 - Xavier University: 4th Period

Our students are invited to attend the college fair that will be held at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute on Wednesday, September 18th. This event is designed to provide students and families an opportunity to connect with representatives from a wide range of colleges and universities.

With over 70 colleges already registered to attend, this is an excellent chance for students to explore potential schools, learn about admissions requirements, and ask questions directly to college representatives.

Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, September 18th
Time: 6pm-8pm
Location: Main Gym at St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, 845 Kenmore Ave.

Daemen University will be hosting it's Annual College Night on Monday, September 16th from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Admissions representatives from throughout the country will be in attendance. There will also be workshops on the admissions process and financial aid. Please follow select the link to register.

• Kelli Shepard - School Counselor, Grades 9 & 10 - kshepard@msmacademy.org

• Marissa MacTurk - Interim School Counselor, Grades 9 & 10 - mmacturk@msmacademy.org

• Julia Grant-Rooney - School Counselor, Grades 11 & 12 - jgrant@msmacademy.org

• Jessica Gertz - School Social Worker - jbliss@msmacademy.org
• Jordan Osborne - Coordinator of College & Career - josborne@msmacademy.org

Mount St. Mary Academy, founded by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, is a Catholic, private, college preparatory school for young women. Within a nurturing and academically challenging and inclusive environment, the Academy strives to develop the whole person’s gifts and potential. Guided by our Catholic tradition, and rooted in Gospel values, we empower scholars to be leaders dedicated to lifelong learning, moral integrity, social justice, and service to and inclusion of others.

We Believe in You!

Website: msmacademy.org
Location: 3756 Delaware Ave, Kenmore NY 14217
Phone: (716) 877-1358
Facebook: facebook.com/msmacademy
Twitter: @msmacademy